2021 Kühling-Gillot, Nierstein Riesling, Rheinhessen, Germany.
The beautiful, almost classically style dry Nierstein Riesling by Kühling-Gillot is all from organic VDP Erste Lage (Premier Cru) vines and was fermented with native yeasts and aged in old Stück and Doppelstück barrels on the fine lees for about 7 months. The chiseled mineral driven Trocken Nierstein Riesling is bright gold in the glass and shows off the slate and clay soils of the vineyard to near perfection with flinty spicy notes and zesty firm citrus and orchard fruits on the racy, but vinous palate including green apple, bitter peach, lemon and quince. This is quite serious stuff, not austere, but clearly a thinking person’s wine and its steely details, lip smacking acidity and varietal purity is what Riesling enthusiasts crave. The riper years are more generous and open, so this one will appeal to those that admire delicacy and finesse over fruit density. I recently tasted through a selection of the Kühling-Gillot offerings, all of which were lovely, in a small trade tasting, and this one, was a wine I came back to a few times, I was highly impressed by the focus and subtly.
The Kühling-Gillot estate in the Rheinhessen is owned by Carolin Spanier-Gillot and H.O. Spanier, a power couple, making an awesome selection of small production wines from unique terroirs that allow for expressive examples of many varietals, not just Riesling, which they are best known for, including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Scheurebe and Gewürztraminer. Carolin, who’s family has made wine for hundreds of years here, says she’s proud to continue the family’s legacy and to cultivate biodynamic Riesling and Pinot Noir on organic-certified sites in the dry-farmed landscape between Bodenheim and Oppenheim. She took over the property in 2006 and has turned into a world renowned winery, with the Rieslings here earning top marks, especially the dry versions from Cru sites, like this one, along with the more famous GG bottlings. Oliver Spanier and his team makes the wines, which employ spontaneous natural fermentation with a range of vessels used for maturing the wines, with Stainless steel tanks, Burgundy barrels, along with traditional German Halbstück (600L) Stück (1200L) and Dopplestück (2400L) oak casks used. There’s a well of riches within the Kühling-Gillot lineup and I highly recommend exploring them as soon as possible.
($56 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive